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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

“We are going to rebuild.”

Just days after a devastating fire took out the growing family business of 22 Thrift, the community is already rallying to help the business get the rebuild started.

22 Thrift owners Amy Miller and Krystal Kynard have been working on the building along Highway 22 in Maplesville for months, and each time drivers rode past you could see their vision coming to life. In January, the store officially opened and Miller and Kynard began to build a regular customer base quickly.

However, everything changed on April 14 when the building caught fire and burned down. The remodeling process and updating the building took a lot of time and effort, and insurance for the building was not secured before the fire, leaving the budding family business at a complete loss.

“I just do not know … It is heartbreaking,” Miller said.

Miller asked for an investigation into the fire, and she recently met with the fire marshals and investigators. They believe the fire was caused by a wiring issue. The building on Highway 22 has had a tumultuous history with a tornado taking down the building and two different fires including the most recent one.

“Don Arthur owned the building and he rebuilt it after a tornado hit it, then it caught fire on the second level,” Miller said. “When I purchased it, the building was damaged and we had to redo everything, replace the trusses in the roof and redo everything.”

Miller and Kynard are already in the process of rebuilding the business. Plans are to tear down the rest of the building, clear out the lot and start fresh.

“So many of our customers reached out when it was happening, and they have been awesome,” Miller said. “I already miss seeing their faces throughout the week.”

Many local businesses have donated gifts and certificates to 22 Thrift to be raffled off to help raise money for the rebuild. A community yard sale is being held on May 17 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. at 15360 AL Highway 22, Maplesville. Donations for the yard sale are being taken now until the event, and a large inflatable slide, dunk tank and raffles throughout the day will be a part of the festivities for the fundraiser.